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Our plan to stay home for Christmas has proved to be very relaxing.
We anticipated a lot of resistance from our families, but none materialized. Many of relatives are going to come visit over the holidays. Some can’t or won’t, but it’s their decision (and they didn’t criticize ours).
We’ve had a foot of snow today, but it didn’t phase us. We’re not driving any place. Our driveway isn’t even shoveled out yet.
We aren’t making harried travel plans, not making an emergency trip to get the oil changed in our car, not furiously wrapping all the presents before we leave for the week.
We may never leave home again.
Just kidding.
Mostly.
There is one small drawback to staying home for the entire holiday weekend.
We have to cook. A lot.
You know I don’t mind cooking, but it is a wee bit overwhelming to have left menu planning until the week before of Christmas. There aren’t a lot of things in our pantry at the moment – how did we run out of chocolate chips? — so we’re going to have to do a good bit of shopping between now and Thursday.
The meals I’m planning are:
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Christmas Eve dinner
Joe is Catholic. Though none of the other guests are Catholic, I’d really like to stick to Joe’s religious and family tradition of abstaining from meat on Christmas Eve. Joe is planning either crab cakes or Crab Imperial but my mom, sister, and I won’t partake of that.
This is where I’m stuck. I don’t have many other ideas for Christmas Eve dinner. I’m headed to AllRecipes.com and some blogs tonight to see what I can put together for this one. -
Christmas morning breakfast
This one is easy. We’re having Mom’s French Toast Casserole. I don’t know how many people will be eating breakfast at my house, but it doesn’t matter. This makes a 9×13 pan full, and the leftovers are just as good as when it’s fresh. It’s made entirely ahead of time and popped in the oven to bake.
-
Christmas dinner
We aren’t having a formal dinner. Don’t gasp. We are serving food; it’s just not a traditional roast turkey with mashed potatoes dinner. Usually, we all eat appetizers until we’re full and then stuff the “real food” down our gullets out of guilt.
Not this year! We’re making all appetizers. We’re going to have a fancy Christmas feast of Baked Brie, Buffalo Chicken Dip, and several other To Be Announced delicious dips and sides. It’s going to be fabulous — and perfect for all-day snacking. -
Epiphany dinner
Are you kidding? This isn’t until January 6, which gives me a lot of time to fret about the above meals before I begin fretting about this one.
So here’s where I insert a plea for help. What are you serving?
Photo courtesy of Carodean Road Designs on Flickr
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{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
I'm cooking Christmas Day – we are having Maple-Pomegranate glazed ham, cranberry sauce (of some homemade variety – but I'm not sure which yet), 7-layer salad (my MIL brings this – it is a favorite every year), twice baked potatoes, fresh baked clover leaf dinner rolls, broccoli w/smoked paprika, almonds & garlic, and I'm sure a few other things. I haven't decided on dessert yet – I'm thinking your pecan pie recipe might be one of the things though!
I still haven't decided yet. There aren't many of us and we usually do a prime rib, but it's out of our budget this year, and were thinking of trying something new. I'm thinking I may be having French toast casserole for breakfast this year, that sounds amazing!
Yum!
That all sounds delicious, Robyn. I'm thinking about doing a more traditional meal for Epiphany. I don't know what the traditions are for that one, though, and I haven't started checking.
I just found a recipe for Broccoli and 3 cheese lasagna in my Real Simple magazine. It looks awesome, and I think I'm going to serve it on Christmas Eve.
Growing up in PA, we often celebrated the meatless meal on Christmas Eve with pierogies of various types and my wife and I have continued that tradition. We mostly made fillings with mashed potatoes and cheese; saurkraut and dry cottage cheese; or prunes. The veggie lasagna sounds like a good idea as well.
David! I never thought of pierogies. We LOVE pierogies. That's perfect! I am going to buy the Mrs. T's for simplicity's sake, and I'll go to their site to get a couple of fun recipes to go with my lasagna.
Thanks!!!
Christmas Eve Night we will be home and I am really not sure what I am making yet. Maybe something simple I don't know. Christmas Day I am making a ham, cheesy crock pot potatoes, Cherry Fluff, dill dip and veggies, and the rest was being brought by my inlaws. I know Calico Beans is one of them, and I don't know what else people are bringing. That is if our get together happens as we are to get a snow storm sometime Christmas Eve/Christmas Day. Whether my inlaws come or not that is what I am making. I will have out home made turtle candy and cookies I have made.
I think I've finally made a decision.
We're going to have ham for the Epiphany. Thanks for the great suggestions!
Christmas Eve Night we will be home and I am really not sure what I am making yet. Maybe something simple I don't know. Christmas Day I am making a ham, cheesy crock pot potatoes, Cherry Fluff, dill dip and veggies, and the rest was being brought by my inlaws. I know Calico Beans is one of them, and I don't know what else people are bringing. That is if our get together happens as we are to get a snow storm sometime Christmas Eve/Christmas Day. Whether my inlaws come or not that is what I am making. I will have out home made turtle candy and cookies I have made.
I think I've finally made a decision.
We're going to have ham for the Epiphany. Thanks for the great suggestions!